Panels made of glass and/or other materials are often used in architectural applications where they need to be supported by adjacent structures, but where the attachment to the supports is preferably achieved by clamping the panels in fittings that are attached to the structures.
Glass panels are widely used in combination with adjacent structures in the form of stainless steel posts, because these elements share features of aesthetic appeal, strength, resistance to corrosion, etc. The fittings used to attach the glass panels to the stainless steel posts typically include two parts that are each cast and/or machined from solid stainless steel. The two parts can be attached to the adjacent post (e.g. with bolts) and can be moved closer together to clamp the glass panel between them.
Solid stainless steel glass panel clamps require large masses of costly material, especially if the stainless steel needs to be corrosion resistant and/or match the appearance of adjacent high quality stainless steel structures. Further, solid stainless steel glass panel clamps have rough finishes when removed from the moulds in which they are cast and they need to be sanded and polished—typically by hand. Solid stainless steel glass panel clamps need to be machined—at significant cost.
Instead of solid stainless steel castings, some hollow stainless steel castings have been used for glass panel clamps, but these clamps do not have adequate strength for most applications, e.g. to pass legislative tests for guard rail applications.
As an alternative to costly stainless steel castings, glass panel clamps have been made from polymeric materials that are chrome plated, but these clamps are generally inferior in strength and are also perceived as inferior in quality.
The present invention seeks to provide cost-effective, yet strong and appealing means for attaching glass or other panels to adjacent structures. The present invention seeks to provide cost-effective glass panel clamps that can pass legislative tests for guard rails and that can match the appearance and durability of high quality solid stainless steel glass panel clamps.